Salutary Effects of Fire ^ on Soils. 215 



... ■ ■ ■ , ,., ■ . ..ja. 



substances, soon spend their force. No ashes will so 

 durably evidence fertilizing effects ; be they even of 

 wood, coal, or other solid material. It must, therefore, 

 be some unaccountable result ; produced on the soil, 

 by the agency of Fire. And of this opinion, I have 

 long been. 



That I may not be deemed singular, in an opinion 

 not generally attended to, yet, no doubt, transiently 

 perceived, without endeavours either to account for it, 

 or to extend its advantages ; I will copy some passa- 

 ges from the Rev. Mr. Buhordieu'' s ^^ Statistical Ac- 

 count and Survey of the County of Antrim^"^^ before 

 cited, on another occasion. The facts relative to this 

 subject are drawn into a compass, which will not fa- 

 tigue those who read little, and believe less, of what 

 they call *' book-farming." Other authorities might 

 be cited. 



" Of the Effects of Fire upon Land. Vol. I, pag. 231. 

 " The effects of Fire upon land, as a manure, do 

 '^ not seem to have been understood till of late vcars. 

 " That sod-burning, burning clay, or peat or turf bog, 

 '* have long been practiced with success, is well known 

 '* to every person acquainted with the practices of hus- 

 " bandry in different countries ; but the good derived 

 '' has always been attributed to the quantity o^ ashes 

 " that have been obtained ; and not the mechanical or 

 *' chymical operation of tht fire upon the soil. But to 

 *^ prove that it is that operation which does produce the 

 *' benefit, nothing more is necessary, than to mention 

 *^ the substances used for this purpose, and the small 



